Would A Curve Flow Work Best?!

[ryan-darling]

I'm trying to animate ribbon. Something like a train would follow a track. I'm thinking that a motion path would give me my best result. I tried to connect clusters, attached to Verticies on a surface plane, to the motion path. When I did this it put all of my clusters on the same spot of the first frame of the motion path. If I group them I get nothing close to what I want. I want something of a rollercoaster effect with a long flat plane deforming to the contour of the motion path.

Could a "curve Flow" work? If so, how do you use it?

BTW, I've tried Wires as well. Took the most time and gave me nothing.

-Sweating balls!!!!

Ry

[fortner_mike]

have you tried dynamic curves? Or have they been removed or renamed in Autodesk's maya?

[ryan-darling]

I've never heard of them. I'm interested though. What can they do for me?

[joojaa]

What do you need the ribbon to do exctly? Is it flying on its own or i moved by something else. Does it need to hit certain special shapes or is it free to do whatever it likes

Why dont you use curve flow.

[ryan-darling]

I need it to run along a path.

[ryan-darling]

BTW I'm using 8.5

[fortner_mike]

dynamic curves basically simulate how a real string of some matter (like a rope, or in your case ribbon) would behave. Its a dynamics system so you have to set up the gravity and things like that. Also you may not have a total control over it, because it's a simulation. Also a cloth system might work nicely. Again I'm using maya 7 so I'm not sure if things are named the same or exist at all in the newer versions.

[jacquesbroquard]

Hi Ry,
Have you considered using a spline based joint setup? I animated a train (several) for a show a while back where each train car was parented to a joint, the joint hierarchy was then spline IK'd to a long curve (the track). This technique works like a charm. Don't sweat! Give it a try and let us know how it turns out for you.
Best,
Jacques Broquard
BroquardStudio

[joojaa]

try This File

[blueharvest]

Sorry to hijack this thread but I am trying a similar thing. I tried to open that file but I am sadly using Maya 8 not 8.5 and it freaked out on me...

My ribbon requirements are to have the ribbon settle in to a logo shape and animate in a highly controlled way...

I'm trying to do something very close to the logo resolve on this website when it initially loads...

http://www.boomerangtv.co.uk/index.html

If anyone has any suggestions for that specifically that would be very much appreciated.... Also apologies again if this is throwing the thread out, but I figured better to hop on this thread than start a new one on a similar topic...

Thanks in advance

[joojaa]

I downgraded the file to maya 7.0 i should now open (you could have done taht yourself too by the way by opening a text editor and deleting 3 lines, and modifying 2).

ps this ost was crossposted (wich is againt the rules) so you might read the relating therad:

http://www.highend3d.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=239909

please note this entire issue has been discussed about 200 times so if you search and go way back you can really sort out the problem.

[blueharvest]

QUOTE(Joojaa @ 10/26/07, 06:25 AM) [snapback]275435[/snapback]
I downgraded the file to maya 7.0 i should now open (you could have done taht yourself too by the way by opening a text editor and deleting 3 lines, and modifying 2).
ps this ost was crossposted (wich is againt the rules) so you might read the relating therad:

http://www.highend3d.com/boards/index.php?showtopic=239909
please note this entire issue has been discussed about 200 times so if you search and go way back you can really sort out the problem.

Firstly apologies again (I did apologise in my initial post) for hijacking the thread... secondly I wasn't aware that it was crossposted... and thirdly I had done initial search on the word ribbon and this post came up at the top so that's why I posted here, as I said figuring it was better to ask a similar question in a related thread than open a new thread on the topic which clearly would have annoyed you as well...

So again I'm sorry about the breach in "Netiquette" and thank you for the related link...

[joojaa]

No ned to appologize , its okay. I just old you that theres more indfo out there if you care to digg.

Its okay to atek over threads as long as you dont take over a 7 year ol one.